


Immersion

by transgaylord



Series: Sub Jason Gideon [1]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Boss/Employee Relationship, Crime Scenes, Drugs, Inaccurate Christianity, Jewish Character, Light BDSM, M/M, Murder, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Role Reversal, Roleplay, Sexual Tension, Sub Jason Gideon, Top Aaron Hotchner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:07:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27978594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transgaylord/pseuds/transgaylord
Summary: In an attempt to get into the mind of the killer, Hotchner plays the unsub and Gideon plays the victim. They both enjoy the fantasy way more than they ought to.Hotch & Gideon's religious backgrounds are my own headcanon. This fic was inspired by https://archiveofourown.org/works/460475 and the prompt "In order to catch them, we have to think like them."
Relationships: Jason Gideon/Aaron Hotchner
Series: Sub Jason Gideon [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2061621
Kudos: 10





	Immersion

Jason Gideon ran his hands down his face, and made a sound somewhere between an exasperated growl and a mournful sigh. "Why didn't he fight back, Hotch?"

He looked toward Agent Hotchner, who was standing stiffly like a nightclub bouncer, seeming to guard the door to the upward stairwell. The sight was comical, but the stench of death and chemical paint made it difficult to smile.

Agent Hotchner cleared his throat and adjusted himself so he stood even more strictly. "Drugs."

"Yes, I read the coroner's report. We all read it." Growing even more exasperated, Gideon fought the urge to pace around the spot where the victim had been found. "Psychedelic mushrooms. It's a fun time, I don't know if you've tried it. But that doesn't explain how our victim could have drowned in a bucket of paint and left barely a splatter on the floor. If he had fought for his life, this floor would be looking like a Jackson Pollock."

Gideon spat out the artist's name like a curse, and was immediately disgusted with himself for making jokes on a crime scene. He spared a glance at Hotchner and was relieved to see that the man's face was still blank and humorless. Gideon thanked god that it was just the two of them in that basement, for now.

"It may have been consensual, sir."

Gideon raised his eyebrows, but he wasn't surprised, not really. He looked at Agent Hotchner expectantly, to see if his subordinate might take this train of thought somewhere more interesting than Gideon could himself. Of his subordinates Agent Hotchner was always the edgy one. Despite being a grown-ass married man he seemed to carry more angst on his shoulders than the young Spencer Reid. Or maybe Hotch was angsty _because_ he was a married man. Gideon had never asked, and had resolved to never pry into the private lives of his agents, no matter how intriguing they may be.

"To me this looks like an erotic asphyxiation gone wrong. It's not unheard of." Hotchner moved slowly toward the center of the room, as if trying not to spook Jason Gideon with any sudden movements.

Agent Hotchner had never not been prepared to delve into the heart of darkness, and for that Gideon considered him one of his best agents. Not his _best_ agent– Derek Morgan probably deserved that title for his decisive actions and versatility, or Elle for her strength of spirit, always pushing herself to excellence. But Gideon had always felt especially intrigued by Hotchner, the way he never drew attention to himself, instead allowing the results to speak for themselves.

Jason Gideon frowned and drummed his fingers against his chin. "Now, who would consent to being drowned in _paint?_ "

"An artist."

Gideon barely suppressed a laugh.

Hotchner continued, unbothered. "Or someone with a profound appreciation for art."

"It was house paint, Hotch." Gideon crouched down in the center of the room, running his finger over the few bright white droplets that had long since dried on the floor. "You don't need to be an artist to slather this stuff on your walls."

"Have the coroners been able to extract the face from the bucket?"

"No. It's stuck on fast," Gideon replied. "It's the funeral home's problem, now."

"Maybe the unsub was trying to create a mold, to preserve the final moment of agony. But it didn't work."

Gideon smiled darkly. "Our unsub didn't get his trophy." 

"He is young," Agent Hotchner continued as he approached Gideon from behind. "Inexperienced at killing. Inexperienced at art, or else he would have used a soft resin to make the mold."

"Who says it's a he?" Gideon looked over his shoulder at Hotchner. "Could be a she. Or a them."

Gideon began to straighten up, but Agent Hotchner laid a hand on his shoulder, and the older man stayed down.

"There is only one unsub. This crime is intimate." Hotchner's hand was firm and his voice was unwavering. 

_Oh, so that's what we're doing._ Gideon smiled, though he bit his lip with nervousness, and decided to play along. His back began to hurt, so he let one knee touch the floor. 

"I'll be the unsub," Hotchner announced, as if it wasn't obvious. "I'm going to make you kneel."

"Sure," said Gideon.

“The floor is concrete, but you like it.”

“I like it,” echoed Gideon. His other knee went down to the floor, and his joints immediately began to complain. But the older man gritted his teeth and took it. He wanted to see where Agent Hotchner was going with this.

“Relax,” said Hotchner, and he gently lifted Gideon’s chin from behind. “It’ll all be over soon.”

“Aw, bummer.” Gideon joked to lighten the mood, but his heart was beating faster now. He was sure that Hotchner felt it when he swallowed hard.

“Have you been baptized, Jason?”

Jason Gideon furrowed his brow. “Didn’t I invite you to my nephew’s Bar Mitzvah?”

“Don’t answer a question with a question.”

“You said you were busy. I had to invite Dr. Reid, or I would have had nobody to talk to.”

“Focus,” said Agent Hotchner, and he seized Gideon’s jaw so that his teeth bit into the sides of his cheeks. A punishment.

“No, I have not been baptized.”

“You don’t know how it feels to have the Spirit wrapped around you. She flows into your mouth, your nose. Your eyes.”

Jason Gideon began to sweat.

“Alright, that’s enough of that.” Agent Hotchner let go of Gideon’s face, and walked back into the kneeling man’s line of vision. He extended a hand down to Gideon. “Let me help you up.”

Gideon took his hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. His legs were shaking, but Hotchner held him steady.

“How was it?” Hotchner asked, like an eager recruit asking his teacher for feedback.

Gideon replied with the first word that popped into his head. “Sublime.”

Hotchner looked into Gideon’s eyes and smiled, a crooked, boyish smile that Gideon only ever saw when the two of them were alone.

“I can’t even imagine how that would feel on shrooms.”

Hotchner’s smile became curious, and a little mischievous. “When have you tried psychedelic mushrooms, sir?”

“I’ll tell you about it on break,” Gideon replied, and went to open the basement door. “But there’s something I want to ask you first.”

“Ask away,” said Hotchner.

“Do _you_ know how it feels?” Gideon asked, quietly. A quiet voice seemed appropriate as they entered the dark stairwell and began to ascend.

“How what feels?” Hotchner asked.

“To have the Holy Spirit flow into your nose, your eyes? Your mouth?”

“Hell no.” Aaron Hotchner replied with a stupid little laugh, a chuckle that made Gideon’s blood boil. “I was baptized as a baby. Presbyterian. They probably just sprinkled some water on me.”

Jason Gideon stopped abruptly on the stairs, and turned to glare at the man behind him. He fought against the urge to snarl at him, or shove him, or grab him by the collar… Hotchner just stood there in the dark and kept on smiling that rare, sweet smile.

**Author's Note:**

> on twitter @kokorogoboki, and i only just started watching Criminal Minds this month, so if you like it please slide in my DMs, we can chat about ship dynamics and lovingly insult all the characters.


End file.
